Manger

For other uses, see Manger (disambiguation).

Nativity at Night by Geertgen tot Sint Jans, c. 1490, after a composition by Hugo van der Goes of c. 1470. Sources of light are the infant Jesus, the shepherds' fire on the hill behind, and the angel who appears to them.

A manger is a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold food for animals (as in a stable). Mangers are mostly used in livestock raising. They are also used to feed wild animals, e.g., in nature reserves. The word comes from the French manger (meaning "to eat"), from Latin manducare (meaning "to chew").^{[citation needed]}

A manger is also a Christian symbol, associated with nativity scenes where Mary, forced by necessity to stay in a stable instead of an inn, placed the baby Jesus in a manger. (Luke 2:7). This is commonly misinterpreted as the manger being the stable.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Away in a Manger, a Christmas carol